An Incorrigible Way of Counting Unemployment

[MikeDothan]

im one of the hopeless, unaccounted..

im unemployed, I want to be counted, where do i signup?

[MikeDothan]

how does someone get themselves to show back up in the official count, short of actually landing a job?

[MikeDothan]

Dont call them "discouraged Workers" call them "Hopeless people", Obama has spead hopelessness since he has been in office. You can be a man of "Hope" unless you have lots of Hopelessness.. the more Hopelessness that he creates the more votes he thinks he will get.. he is a destroyer.

[saladitotube]

There should be a website for all the "Actual" unemployed people to register so we can get the real numbers....Its all a bunch of lies!! or as they put it, another day at the office and politics as usual.

[zxcvbnmjhgfdsa1]

It cant work once unemployment drops to say 7% people will notice the difference and start looking! Best it can do is stop the rate from going to 11%

[damonH24]

1 million people = 0.33% of the population. The jobless rate is still shrinking. Numbers are nothing without comparison!

[6KandZ24]

text me 720-212-7531

[themeloninc]

love it!

[maunaowakea777]

dude, this has been going on since clinton, obama had nothign to do with it get your facts straight.

[queenofrumania]

Yeah - they're fixing it all right. Another delusional Dem.

[flowerpower6161]

So RX, what exactly is your problem with the video? Is it that Jim Geraghty explained the real unemployment numbers in this country or that he didn't mention that Bush did it too?

If you feel like you are simply yearning for your daily Bromide of Bush Bashing, you should probably read a different commentator.

[Timmmay33]

The jobless rate is higher I think. Because you have those that are discouraged due to trying to find gainful employment - to which there is very little. AND...those who attempt to get, but are disqualified for unemployment insurance/claim for some odd reason - even though the worker already paid into unemployment insurance by law. I must ask, what does Federal Government do with this extra money that workers paid into this unemployment insurance in the event losing their job?

[scutter4christ]

This was a great video!

[boobooredcape]

Hey Jim,

thanks for taking the time to explain the way that unemployment is reckoned. I hadn't been able to figure out how unemployment could have dropped from 10% to 9.7% when 20,000 new layoffs had occurred since the first number. Anyway, thanks for the answer. This explains why Wall Street wasn't enthusiastic about the new jobs data.

[flowerpower6161]

Malyzzie, I'm so glad you found a way to blame Bush. I was concerned that I might begin my day without a bit of Bush bashing blather.

[flowerpower6161]

If I close my eyes, this sounds a lot like the work of 10,000 pennies.

BEGINNING to see a shadow economy?? If Obama would go after all of the tax cheats (ie. people being compensated in cash and not declaring it on their tax returns), we could probably dig ourselves out of this mountain of unsustainable debt.

[meganlynnsutton]

Sweet video, awesome use of little people. Keep up the good work on Morning Jolt!

[H0VEN]

The numbers also dont account for the self employed that may be working a little but are not turning a profit . They cannot collect even if they want to and are not included so the unemployment numbers are much higher in reality.

[FreeAgain2]

Search "U6" that is the Gov's stat for all unemployed and under employed etc.

U1: labor force unemployed 15 weeks+.

U2: labor force who lost jobs or completed temporary work.

U3: Official unemployment rate

U4: U3 + "discouraged workers",

U5: U4 + other "marginally attached workers", or "loosely attached workers", or those who "would like" and are able to work, but have not looked for work

U6: U5 + Part time workers who want to work full time, but cannot due to economic reasons.

[Gwish]

true, but this is something all administrations do. Noting new here...

[cucullin789]

@Gwish But the number is now more than doubled to almost a million.

Discouraging that you don't get that.

I was on the Mich Works (unemployment) web site yesterday. They have 21,000 listed, but over a 1,000,000 resumes for those looking.

Discouraging enough?

[Gwish]

fine... This video does a good Job, of not talking about Bush the administrations involvement. But I guess thats the point right? point it at Obama LoL

[queenofrumania]

Gwish - time for the Prez to grow up and take responsibility for the job loss under his administration - the great unwashed getting tired of his blame game. So childish.

[Gwish]

@queenofrumania thats funny when this video blames Obama???

[34jlta]

@Gwish Hi - thanks for your reply, but can't remember what posted. Well, can say, nothing's improved very much in the jobs dept.- specially since temp census-takers retired. Problem seems to be business doesn't know what's coming down the pike tax- and regulation-wise & keeping most cash at home rather than hiring. This admin. wants power to tax & regulate & the heck with what it does to the economy. Most tax events occurring in 2010 as 2011 is scary w/new kick-ins. 2011 gonna be bad.

[Marktlv0711]

We are beginning to see the emergence of a shadow economy with many of the "discouraged" workers using talents and skills to do what work they can off payroll for other individuals and businesses--being paid in cash, not reporting income for tax purposes, collecting aid from States, etc.

[bigdogsdontbark]

Obama counts all of them and counts them as jobs saved. He uses Al Gores Fuzzy Math.

[tier0008]

nothing to do with obama administration. That's how other administrations have calculated it too

[mumubobby]

What about the funemployment group? That panda behind the unemployed sign seems happy and should be in the funemployment category that you've failed to include, Mr. Geraghty. I don't think that should count against Obama, and Bush did it anyway!?!??!

[ryanswan0]

Not count against Barry? Everything Barry has done upon taking office has been detrimental to private sector employment. So yes, Georgie is to blame for a good portion, but Barry is not innocent in the least.

[spyletu]

it doesn't matter who.. it's our country that's being messed around with and it's still being continued today..

[ryanswan0]

Don't forget the underemployed which are counted with the discouraged in M6. M3 is a joke, much like the CPI.

[Dean3238]

We have always been at war with Eastasia !

[TheLastBrainLeft]

So true.